How to understand that you are infected with Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is transmitted through the bites of infected ticks. Its symptoms are widespread and may occur 3-30 days after the bite. Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose, since the bacterium responsible for this condition often causes symptoms that mimic other common diseases, for example, a cold or flu. Many experts agree that Lyme disease is a massive problem, which every year is only exacerbated, despite all efforts aimed at the prevention and treatment of infection.

The difficulty of solving this problem is also that patients with Lyme disease are often mistakenly diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis or various mental illnesses, including depression. As a result of frequent incorrect diagnoses and obvious replication of symptoms, Lyme disease is unofficially called a "great imitator". The bacterium that causes this condition can affect the brain and nervous system, heart, muscles and joints.

Statistics

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that every year only 288 to 329,000 cases are registered in the United States. For example, in 2015, more than 96 percent of all reported cases of Lyme disease occurred in 14 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont , Virginia and Wisconsin. Cases of Lyme disease have been reported on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

Since doctors often make erroneous diagnoses in the case of Lyme disease, the criteria for diagnosing this condition should be markedly different from other diseases, but this is not so. The risk factors and symptoms of the disease can best be explained only by those doctors who specialize in this condition.

1. Wednesday

Not all mites can infect you with Lyme disease. Dangerous species live only in a wooded or grassy environment. If you spend free time in nature, engage in, for example, camping, or live in a forest environment, then you are in an area of high risk.

2. Bites

Because the infection is transmitted through tick bites, most people assume that they are easily detected. But it's not so simple. The fact is that most people infected with Lyme disease have been bitten by immature ticks that have the size of a poppy seed. The small size of an insect and a painless bite often go unnoticed by a person.

3. Rash

Red skin rash is a reliable sign that you have been bitten by a tick. The size of the rash can vary significantly, because it depends on the person and how his body reacts to the bite. However, the place of the bite is usually swollen, and at later stages, red circles diverge from it. According to statistics, only 65% of infected people have a rash.

4. Symptoms of influenza

Some people begin to show symptoms similar to the signs of the flu: fatigue, pain in the muscles and joints, fever, headaches, stiffness in the neck and chills.

Doctors very often confuse Lyme disease with the flu, which leads to a worsening of the patient's condition. If the flu symptoms persist and worsen after three to seven days ("severe" phase), there is a high probability that the diagnosis was incorrect and you were infected with a tick, especially if any of the above symptoms appeared.

5. Weakness of facial muscles

This is a very terrible symptom that should make you uneasy. Numbness and weakness of the facial muscles often arise due to damage to the nerves. In addition, the symptoms often affect only one side of the face (Bell's paralysis). If you notice numbness or weakness of the face, immediately consult a doctor.

6. Respiratory or cardiovascular problems

Symptoms of respiratory or cardiovascular pathologies include chest pain, palpitations and dyspnea. Cardiovascular problems associated with Lyme disease include Lyme carditis. It is a rapidly progressive disorder of nerve connections in the tissues of the heart. Even if these symptoms are mild, which is often the beginning of the illness, you should seek medical help.

7. Problems with concentration and memory

In the later stages of Lyme disease, the executive functions of the brain may be affected. As a rule, problems with concentration and memory appear simultaneously with pain in the limbs and weakness of the facial muscles.

8. Inflammation

Inflammation caused by infection can cause symptoms of arthritis. Severe pain in the joints, swelling (especially in the knee), numbness or tingling in the hands and feet are potential symptoms of Lyme disease.

If the pain in the knee and the inflammation become serious, you can temporarily alleviate the pain with the help of tools such as "Ibuprofen." Nevertheless, it is in your best interest to seek medical help.

How to prevent infection with Lyme disease

The National Health Service (NHS) of Great Britain recommends the following preventive measures:

• Avoid high grass during walks.
• Wear closed clothing (a shirt with long sleeves, trousers) in places infected with ticks.
• Use repellent against insects on the exposed skin.
• After a walk, check the skin for ticks, including underarms, groin and waist.
• To inspect the head and neck of children after walking in potentially dangerous places.
• To inspect pets after walking on the street, as ticks can cling to their fur.